Blinds are used to allow temporary coverage of a window or other opening. A known form of blind is a roller blind, in which a flexible sheet of material is attached along a first edge thereof to a rotatable roller and along a second, opposed, edge thereof to a substantially rigid bar which can be moved relative to an area or opening to be covered, for example a window, to draw the blind across the opening.
In some cases the edges of the blinds which extend between the first and second edges are retained in guide tracks. This can avoid gaps between these edges and adjacent structure. Avoidance of such gaps can be desirable, for example to avoid undesirable passage of light or insects between the blind and the adjacent structure. Alternatively, or additionally, the retention of the blind edges in guide tracks may be desirable in order to restrain the blind against undesirable movement, for example in windy conditions.
However, the provision of such tracks may have certain drawbacks. For example, the tracks may be unsightly, may make removal of the blind and/or access to a retained edge of the blind difficult and/or time consuming, and/or may cause unwanted deformation of the blind, for example if the spacing between opposed tracks is incorrect for the width of the blind.
It would therefore be desirable if at least some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure could mitigate one or more of these drawbacks, or at least provide a useful alternative to known tracks for blinds.